Control unit for dental

ABSTRACT

A control unit is provided for supporting a multiplicity of dental handpieces of the high-pressure air-driven type, and which includes a plurality of brackets for removably supporting the individual handpieces, and which individually control the flow of the pressurized air to the respective handpieces, so that the high pressure driving air may be supplied to the selected handpiece as it is removed from its bracket. Each of the aforesaid brackets comprises an elongated arm having a handpiece holder at one end, and having a pinch block at its other end. The pinch block is pivotally mounted in the frame of the control unit, and an overcenter spring is coupled to each arm so that its corresponding handpiece holder may be moved to an up position or to a down position when the corresponding handpiece is removed. The pinch block pinches a corresponding flexible tube against a pinch bar in the control unit when the socket is in its down position to cut off the supply of the driving high pressure air to the handpiece, and to permit the high pressure driving air to flow to the handpiece when the holder is in its up position. As will be described, the control unit may also control the flow of water to the selected handpiece, since many high speed drills also emit a jet of water onto the surface of the tooth being drilled, for cooling purposes.

tea Patent [1 1 Eetiish dept. d, W73

[ CUNTROL UNlIT FOR DENTAL Frank A. Betush, Encino, Calif.

[73] Assignee: Progressive Machine Products, llnc., Los Angeles, Calif.

[22] Filed: Mar. 17, 1972 {21] Appl. No.: 235,558

[75] inventor:

Primary ExaminerRobert Peshock Attorney-Keith D. Beecher [57] ABSTRACT A control unit is provided for supporting a multiplicity of dental handpieces of the high-pressure air-driven type, and which includes a plurality of brackets for removably supporting the individual handpieces, and which individually control the flow of the pressurized air to the respective handpieces, so that the high pressure driving air may be supplied to the selected handpiece as it is removed from its bracket. Each of the aforesaid brackets comprises an elongated arm having a handpiece holder at one end, and having a pinch block at its other end. The pinch block is pivotally mounted in the frame of the control unit, and an overcenter spring is coupled to each am so that its corresponding handpiece holder may be moved to an up position or to a down position when the corresponding handpiece is removed. The pinch block pinches a corresponding flexible tube against a pinch bar in the control unit when the socket is in its down position to cut off the supply of the driving high. pressure air to the handpiece, and to permit the high pressure driving air to flow to the handpiece when the holder is in its up position. As will be described, the control unit may also control the flow of water to the selected handpiece, since many high speed drills also emit a jet of water onto the surface of the tooth being drilled, for cooling purposes.

7 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures Patented Sept. 4, 1973 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Sept. 4, 1973 3 Sheets-Sheet L6 I I I I CONTROL UNIT FOR DENTAL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is the usual practice in present day dental offices to use a plurality of separate hand instruments, or handpieces, and which are driven at high speeds by compressed air. In many instances, the high speed instruments also emit a stream of water into the drilled area as a coolant, as mentioned above.

It is common practice in the prior art for each of the aforesaid dental handpieces to be supported on a separate bracket, which, in turn, are mounted on a console adjacent the dental chair. Compressed air and pressurized water are supplied to the various handpieces in the prior art equipment through individual tubes. The air and water are obtained from the usual mains, and are usually supplied to the console through foot operated valves. In the prior art, additional valves are provided in the console so that the flow of the pressurized air and water to the individual handpieces may be controlled. With such equipment, the dentist causes the air and water to be supplied to the console by actuating his foot operated valve, and then he causes air or water, or both, to be supplied to a selected handpiece, by actuating appropriate valves in the console.

However, the valves in the prior art consoles, in addition to being expensive, are difficult to operate, and they often require both hands of the dentist to control them. The control unit of the present invention, on the other hand, provides an improved valve assembly for distributing the pressurized air and water to the various dental handpieces associated with the console, and this is achieved in such a manner that the selected handpiece may be activated by a simple manipulation on the part of the dentist.

In the apparatus of the present invention, and as described briefly above, each dental handpiece is supported in a holder on a pivotally mounted arm, and each arm includes a pinch block at one end which pinches a corresponding flexible tube to prevent the flow of fluid to the handpiece when the holder is in its down position, but which permits the flow of fluid through the tube to the selected handpiece when the holder is in its up position. Therefore, all the dentist need do when he selects a particular handpiece is to flip the corresponding holder to its up position, and the handpiece immediately becomes activated. The use of the over-center spring, referred to above, permits the bracket to remain in a down position even when a handpiece is removed, so as to permit change of drills, or the like, and which causes the handpiece to be activated only when the bracket is set to its up position.

The control unit of the present invention is relatively inexpensive in that it can be produced and sold at a fraction of the cost of the dental consoles of the same general type. In addition, the control unit of the invention is easy and convenient to operate, as described above, and it does not require any complex or awkward manipulations on the part of the dentist.

As explained above, if a handpiece is removed from its bracket in the console of the invention, for example, to change a drill, the corresponding over-center spring holds the bracket at its down position, so that there is no pressurized fluid flow to the handpiece unless it is to be activated, and this is achieved by flipping the bracket to its up position. When a handpiece is returned to its bracket, on the other hand, the weight of the handpiece automatically returns the bracket to its down position so that the fluid flow is automatically cut off and the handpiece is de-activa'ted.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective representation of a dental console which may be constructed to incorporate a control unit embodying the concepts and features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the control unit constructed in accordance with the invention, and with the cover removed to reveal the internal components of the unit; and

FIG. 3 is a side section of the control unit of FIG. 2, taken essentially along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT As shown in FIG. 1, a console incorporating the control unit of the present invention is mounted on a dental chair 10 by an upright hollow tubular member 12. The console includes an upright hollow standard 13 which is fitted into the tubular member 12. A knuckle joint l5 couples an essentially horizontal hollow arm 14, the arm being rotatable about the knuckle joint. Further hollow arms 17 and 19 are hinged to the distal end of the arm 14 and to one another to provide vertical adjustment. An air tube 16 and a water tube 18 extend up the hollow interior of the standard 12, and along the hollow interiors of the arms 14, 17 and 19. These tubes 16 and 18 are coupled to any appropriate source of water and compressed air, and the pressurized flow of these fluids through the respective tubes is controlled by the dentist, by an appropriate means, such as by a foot valve control. The tubes 16 and 18 pass from the arm 14 through the hollow interiors of the arms 17 and 19 to a control unit 22. The control unit 22, which incorporates the concepts of the invention, is, as shown in FIG. 1, mounted on the distal end of the arm 14. by means of a knuckle joint 21.

The control unit 22 supports a plurality of dental handpieces 24, 26, 28 and 30. These handpieces, for example, may be high speed compressed air driven drills, or other types, and which in some instances emit a stream of water into the mouth of the patient. As will be described, the flow of air and/or water to a selected handpiece from the tubes 16 and 1B is controlled by the dentist, merely by flipping a bracket on which the particular handpiece is removably mounted on the control unit 22.

Details of the control unit 22 are shown, for example, in FIGS. 2 and 3. The control unit 22 includes a housing or frame having, in the illustrated embodiment, a generally rectangular configuration. A plurality of brackets are supported in the control unit 22, each consisting of a handpiece holder 52, an elongated arm 54 and a pinch block 56. As shown, each pinch block 56 is attached to one end of its corresponding arm 54, and each holder 52 is attached to the other end. The holders 52 each has a generally tubular configuration with a longitudinally open top, to permit a corresponding handpiece to be removably supported in the holder. The pinch blocks 56 are pivotally mounted adjacent one another in the frame 50 on a pivot rod 60. The pivot rod 60 is mounted on the frame, and it extends transversely across the frame. A pinch bar 62 is also mounted on the frame, and it also extends across the frame adjacent the pivot rod 60. The assembly is such that when a handpiece holder 52 is moved to a down position, the corresponding pinch block 56 rocks on the pivot rod 60 and moves against the pinch bar 62.

An air manifold 64 is also mounted in the frame 50, and the air tube 18 is coupled to the manifold so that compressed air may be supplied to the manifold. The manifold 64 has a plurality of outlets 66, and flexible tubes, such as the tubes 68, may be coupled to the respective outlets to supply the pressurized air to the various handpieces, by way, for example, of further tubes 70. Each tube 68 passes across the face of a corresponding pinch block 56, and between the pinch block and the pinch bar 62. Then, whenever handpiece holder 52 is flipped to an up position, the corresponding pinch block 56 pinches the flexible tube 68 against the pinch bar 62 to prevent air from being transmitted to the corresponding handpiece. On the other hand, whenever a holder 52 is moved to its up position, its pinch block 56 is moved away from the pinch bar 52, so that the compressed air may blow freely to the selected handpiece.

The water tube 16 may be coupled to one or more flexible tubes 80, which, likewise, pass between corresponding pinch blocks 56 and the pinch bar 62, so that water may be selectively fed in a pressurized stream to the selected handpiece by way, for example, of a further tube 82.

Each of the bracket arms 54 is coupled to a rod 86 which extends across the frame 50 towards the forward end of the frame. The coupling in each instance is by means of an over-center spring 90. Each spring 90 permits the corresponding arm 54 to be set to an up position or a down position, and to be maintained in that position. As best shown in FIG. 3, each spring 90 has one end attached to a pivot pin 92, and each has its other end connected to a bracket 94. The bracket 94 extends through the arm 54 and is held in place by a nut 96. The nut 96 is threaded onto the bracket 94 and it can be adjusted to adjust the pressure on the spring.

The invention provides, therefore, an improved dental console which includes a handpiece selector control unit. The handpiece selector control unit, in turn, includes a plurality of brackets which selectively support the various dental handpieces, and which can be easily manipulated so as to control the flow of pressurized air and/or water to the selected handpiece.

As mentioned above, the expensive and relatively complex selector valves of the prior art control units are eliminated in the unit of the present invention, and selective control of the flow of water and air under pressure to the selected handpiece is achieved by selectively pinching various flexible tubes carrying the respective fluids to the handpieces, this being achieved by the mechanism described above.

It will be appreciated that although a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, modifications may be made, and it is intended to cover in the accompanying claims all modifications which fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A control unit for supporting at least one dental handpiece and for controlling the distribution of pressurized fluid thereto, said control unit including: a frame; a block pivotally mounted in said frame; an arm affixed to said block and extending therefrom; a handpiece removably supported on the end of said arm remote from said block and angularly moving said arm to a down position; a flexible tube extending through said frame to said handpiece for supplying pressurized fluid to said handpiece; and a pinch member mounted on said frame in position to pinch said flexible tube against said block and prevent the flow of said fluid to said handpiece when said arm is in said down position and said block has been pivotally moved thereby towards said pinch member.

2. The control unit defined in claim 1, and which includes two of said flexible tubes extending to said handpiece, one for supplying pressurized air to said handpiece, and the other for supplying pressurized water thereto.

3. The control unit defined in claim 1, and which includes resilient means for biasing said arm to an up position when said handpiece is removed.

4. The control unit defined in claim 3, in which said resilient means comprises an over-center spring permitting said arm to be set angularly to either said up position or said down position when said handpiece is removed.

5. The control unit defined in claim 1, and which includes a plurality of said arms respectively supporting a plurality of said dental handpieces at the ends thereof, and a plurality of said blocks respectively affixed to said arms and pivotally mounted adjacent one another on said frame.

6. The control unit defined in claim 5, and which includes a manifold for receiving the pressurized fluids, and a plurality of said flexible tubes extending from said manifold through said frame to respective ones of said handpieces.

7. The control unit defined in claim 6, in which said blocks are mounted with respect to said pinch member in position to pinch corresponding ones of said flexible tubes against said pinch members as said arms are selectively moved to their down position. 

1. A control unit for supporting at least one dental handpiece and for controlling the distribution of pressurized fluid thereto, said control unit including: a frame; a block pivotally mounted in said frame; an arm affixed to said block and extending therefrom; a handpiece removably supported on the end of said arm remote from said block and angUlarly moving said arm to a down position; a flexible tube extending through said frame to said handpiece for supplying pressurized fluid to said handpiece; and a pinch member mounted on said frame in position to pinch said flexible tube against said block and prevent the flow of said fluid to said handpiece when said arm is in said down position and said block has been pivotally moved thereby towards said pinch member.
 2. The control unit defined in claim 1, and which includes two of said flexible tubes extending to said handpiece, one for supplying pressurized air to said handpiece, and the other for supplying pressurized water thereto.
 3. The control unit defined in claim 1, and which includes resilient means for biasing said arm to an up position when said handpiece is removed.
 4. The control unit defined in claim 3, in which said resilient means comprises an over-center spring permitting said arm to be set angularly to either said up position or said down position when said handpiece is removed.
 5. The control unit defined in claim 1, and which includes a plurality of said arms respectively supporting a plurality of said dental handpieces at the ends thereof, and a plurality of said blocks respectively affixed to said arms and pivotally mounted adjacent one another on said frame.
 6. The control unit defined in claim 5, and which includes a manifold for receiving the pressurized fluids, and a plurality of said flexible tubes extending from said manifold through said frame to respective ones of said handpieces.
 7. The control unit defined in claim 6, in which said blocks are mounted with respect to said pinch member in position to pinch corresponding ones of said flexible tubes against said pinch members as said arms are selectively moved to their down position. 